Land anchor



R. R. HIRST El AL LAND ANCHOR Sept. 12, 1933.

I Filed Dec. 4, 1929 am. aw A JM 4 M Patented Sept. 12, 1933 PATENTorrice YI'JAND ANonoa Rowland Rushworth Hirst and "Arnold Hirst,Halifax, England Application December 4, 1929, Serial No. 411,608, andin Great Britain December 4, 1928 2 Claims.

The invention relates to an anchorage, for the height-adjusting means oftennis nets comprising a socket having a vertical bore and containingtwo spaced pistons with means to connect the 5 net adjusting means tothe upper side of the upper piston, a removable projection'extendinginwardly from the wall of the socket into the space between the pistonsso as to limit their sliding movement within the socket. In anequivalent construction, a block slidable in the bore of the socket issubstituted for the two spaced pistons, such block having a longitudinalrecess in its surface to receive the projection from the wall of thesocket, means for attaching the net adjusting means being provided atthe upper end of the block.

It is necessary that the connection between the net adjusting means andthe sliding pistons or block shall be of a readily detachable nature,

so as to permit of removal of the not when so desired, and it has beenusual to employ a form of connection in which a shank extending upwardlyfrom the pistons or block was bent into an open hook with which an eyeon the height adjusting means could be engaged.

It has been found in practice that there is, occasionally, a tendencyfor the height adjusting means to become accidentally detached from theanchorage ii, for instance, a ball should strike in a certain directioneither the height adjusting means or the net adjacent such means, andthe present invention has for its object to provide a form of connectionbetween the height adjusting means and the anchorage which, whilstpermitting of the connection being readily made or unmade, cannotbecomedetached accidentally.

In carrying out the invention, we form or provide on the upper surfaceof the upper piston or on the upper end of the block, two verticalspaced lugs and between these lugs we mount pivotally the boss of a hookmember. The free end of this hook member is adapted to abut against orcooperate with a projection extending vertically upwards from the pistonor block, so as to close the entrance to the hook and form as it were aneye, whilst on the rear side of the hook member there is a projectionadapted to be engaged by a spring plunger carried by the pistons orblock, the arrangement being such that the free end of the hook isnormally held in contact with its stop or cooperating fixed part.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 shows a device having ourpresent improvement applied, and Fig. 2 is a detail showing the hookmember in open position for the insertion of the eye of the heightadjusting means. In the drawing (1 represents the socket having thevertical bore af, and b, b, the two spaced p15;

tons into the space between which projects a set screw 0 extendingthrough a threaded opening in the wall of the socket and serving tolimit the vertical sliding movement, within the bore of the socket, ofthe block constituted'by the two pistons and their connecting member.

According to the present improvement, we provide on the upper surface ofthe upper piston or block, two vertical lugs such as d, suitably spacedapart and between these lugs we pivot the boss of a hook member 6.Extending upwardly from the upper piston is a projection f with theupper end of which the free end of the hook member c is adapted tocooperate, as shown in Fig. l, to close the entrance to the hook'andwith the hook form a retaining eye. On the rear side of the hook memberis a projection e adapted to be engaged by a spring plunger g carried bythe pistons or block and arranged normally to hold the free end of thehook in contact with the part To insert the eye h of the heightadjusting means It, the hook member e is rocked backwardly as shown inFig. 2 against the pressure of the spring plunger so to provide a gap 1between the free end of the hook member and the fixed projection f. Theeye having been inserted, the hook member is released, and thereupon thespring plunger acts to move the hook member back to closed position, andto maintain it in that position.

The location of the spring plunger g behind the hook member facilitatesthe application of the height adjusting means, since to open the hook itis necessary to apply pressure in such a manner that the naturaltendency for the pistons or block to slide downwardly in the socket. is

resisted. 7

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A device of the character described comprising a socket, a memberslidable in said socket comprising a pair of vertically spaced andconnected piston elements, a hook pivotally mounted on the upper face ofthe uppermost piston, an upstanding projection formed with the upperface of said uppermost piston for engagement with the free end of saidhook to close the same, said hook being formed with a lateral projectionon the back thereof, a plunger extending vertically through said pistonsand slidably mounted therein and having its upper end engaging said lastmentioned projection, and a spring carried of said uppermost piston forengagement with the free end of said hook to close the same, said hookbeing formed with a lateral projection on the back thereof, a plungerextending vertically through said pistons and slidably mounted thereinand having its upper end engaging said last mentioned projection, andyielding means associated with said plunger and engaging one of saidpistons to normally urge said plunger against said projection on theback of said hook to urge the free end of the hook into engagement withsaid upstanding projection.

' ROWLAND RUSHWORTH HIRST.

ARNOLD I-IIRST.

